Association between bone health and dynapenic obesity in postmenopausal women.

Aim: The combination of dynapenia (age-related muscle weakness) and obesity is referred to as dynapenic obesity. We examined the associations between dynapenic obesity and cortical bone thickness and trabecular bone density.

Methods: The participants were 797 community-dwelling postmenopausal women (with an average age of 62.

The combination of locomotive syndrome and poor sleep quality is a risk factor of falls among community-dwelling middle-aged and older women: A cross-sectional study.

Aim: The combination of locomotive syndrome (LS) and poor sleep quality (PQ) has not yet been shown to result in falls or to affect bone conditions in old age and middle age. [Correction added on 1 December 2023, after first online publication: The preceding sentence has been updated for clarity.] METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 2233 community-dwelling middle-aged to older Japanese women.

Locomotive syndrome and depressive symptoms: A cross-sectional study in middle-aged women.

Objective: Evidence for an association between locomotive syndrome (LS) and depression is lacking in middle-aged women. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between LS severity and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling middle-aged women.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1520 middle-aged women (mean age 52 ± 6 years).

Bioimpedance phase angle is independently associated with myosteatosis: The Shizuoka study.

Background & Aims: Phase angle (PhA) calculated from the resistance and reactance measured using a bioimpedance device was suggested to represent the degree of fat deposition in muscle (myosteatosis), though no direct evidence is available. We aimed to clarify the possible association between PhA and skeletal muscle myosteatosis in community-dwelling middle-aged to older adults.

Methods: Participants consisted of 424 Japanese (aged ≥50 years).

Longitudinal changes in physical activity accumulation patterns during 1-year follow-up in stroke survivors.

Purpose: Few studies have reported changes in the accumulation patterns of physical activity over a year after stroke. This study characterized the longitudinal changes in physical activity levels and their accumulation patterns for a 1-year follow-up period in stroke survivors.

Materials And Methods: In this single-center, prospective, longitudinal observational study, 47 stroke survivors were assessed at rehabilitation discharge and at 6 and 12 months post-discharge.

Sex Differences in Physical Activity in People After Stroke: A Cross-sectional Study.

Objective: Adequate physical activity after stroke is critical for cardiovascular health. Although sex is a potential factor associated with post-stroke physical activity, its mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to examine sex differences in human physical activity following stroke.

Eleven new C-diterpenoid alkaloids from Delphinium elatum cv. Pacific Giant.

Diterpenoid alkaloids, the main components of plants of the genera Aconitum, Delphinium, and Garrya, are a group of natural products with notable chemical properties and biological activities. Several C-diterpenoid alkaloid components from Delphinium elatum cv. Pacific Giant, as well as their derivatives, exhibited cytotoxic activity against lung, prostate, cervical, and vincristine-resistant cervical cancer cell lines.

Does a Cognitive Task Promote Implicit or Explicit Motor Learning?

This study examined whether use of an N-back task could promote implicit and explicit motor learning. In Experiment 1, 30 healthy adults were assigned to an N-back task group (NTG) or a control task group (CG). All participants performed the serial reaction time task (SRTT) and generation task after either the N-back or control tasks.

Enhancement of prefrontal area excitability induced by a cognitive task: Impact on subsequence visuomotor task performance.

Cognitive tasks may have the potential to improve visuomotor task performance; however, the reason for this is unclear. If this can be clarified, it may be possible to develop clinically valuable outcomes, such as promotion of motor learning though cognitive tasks. The present study aimed to investigate whether changes in prefrontal area excitability induced by cognitive tasks, especially within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), influenced the speed of improvement during visuomotor task performance.

Motor adaptation is promoted by an incongruent Stroop task, but not by a congruent Stroop task.

Motor adaptation plays an important role in the acquisition of new motor skills. It has been reported that cognitive tasks can promote motor adaptation; however, which cognitive tasks effectively promote motor adaptation remains unknown. This study aimed to examine what factors of cognitive tasks contribute to promoting motor adaptation.

Differences in skill level influence the effects of visual feedback on motor learning.

[Purpose] No previous studies have confirmed whether the effects of visual feedback on motor learning vary according to learner skill level for a learning task. The purpose of this study was to clarify whether differences in skill influence the effects of visual feedback on motor learning. [Participants and Methods] Sixty-four participants were assigned to one of four different feedback groups (concurrent-100%, concurrent-50%, terminal-100%, or terminal-50%).

Characteristics of frontal plane lower limb movement during walking in patients with knee osteoarthritis of varying severity.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of knee joint structural destruction on frontal plane hip and ankle joint kinematics and kinetics during the stance phase of walking in patients with differing severities of knee osteoarthritis (KOA).

Methods: An early KOA group consisted of eight subjects with bilateral knee Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) scale scores of 1 or 2. An established KOA group comprised nine subjects (18 knees) with KL scores of 3 or 4.

Repetition of a cognitive task promotes motor learning.

Motor learning plays an important role in the acquisition of new motor skills. In this study, we investigated whether repetition of a cognitive task promoted motor learning. Fifty-one young adults were assigned to either the early, late, or control groups.

Walking activity in community-dwelling stroke survivors within 1 month after discharge from a rehabilitation setting.

To characterize the pattern of activity accumulation in stroke survivors. Nineteen stroke patients and 19 age-sex-matched healthy adults participated. Step counts were measured using a step activity monitor for 3 d.

Smoothness of the knee joint movement during the stance phase in patients with severe knee osteoarthritis.

Background: Patients with knee osteoarthritis can significantly affect the function of the knee joint in terms of joint range and mobility and have a stereotypical pattern of knee stiffness during gait, caused by an increased resistance in the muscles and soft tissues during the stance phase of knee joint movement. Smoothness in movement, such as during walking and running, is assumed to be attained by adulthood; however, disruptions in gait pattern due to injury or performance enhancement can alter the smoothness of the movement, and this is often quantified in terms of "jerk". A higher jerk value is linked with a decrease in smoothness.

Scanning wave photopolymerization enables dye-free alignment patterning of liquid crystals.

Hierarchical control of two-dimensional (2D) molecular alignment patterns over large areas is essential for designing high-functional organic materials and devices. However, even by the most powerful current methods, dye molecules that discolor and destabilize the materials need to be doped in, complicating the process. We present a dye-free alignment patterning technique, based on a scanning wave photopolymerization (SWaP) concept, that achieves a spatial light-triggered mass flow to direct molecular order using scanning light to propagate the wavefront.

Age effects on the control of dynamic balance during step adjustments under temporal constraints.

This study investigated the age effects on the control of dynamic balance during step adjustments under temporal constraints. Fifteen young adults and 14 older adults avoided a virtual white planar obstacle by lengthening or shortening their steps under free or constrained conditions. In the anterior-posterior direction, older adults demonstrated significantly decreased center of mass velocity at the swing foot contact under temporal constraints.

Effects of temporal constraints on medio-lateral stability when negotiating obstacles.

If an obstacle suddenly appears during walking, either the crossing step can be lengthened or the precrossing step shortened to avoid the obstacle. We investigated the effects of temporal constraints on dynamic stability during step adjustments. Twelve healthy young adults avoided a virtual white planar obstacle by lengthening or shortening their steps under free or constrained conditions.

How patients with stroke adjust their step length to step over obstacles.

Step adjustment under temporal constraint is compromised following stroke. However, how step adjustment occurs under no temporal constraint remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate how patients with stroke adjust their step length to step over obstacles under no temporal constraint.